SINS OF THE GOVERNMENT

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 34

SINS OF THE GOVERNMENT

ME MASSEY'S CRITICISM,

PROGRESSIVE POLICY WANTED

(Frpm Our Own Correspondent.) THAMES, May 24. Mr W. F. Massey, M.P., Leader of the Opposition, delivered an address on political matters to a largely attended public meeting in the Centre Hall this evening. The Mayor of Thames (Mr H. Low) presided, and in introducing Mr Massey, spoke of him as a politician, who by the energetic, able, and courteous way in which he had carried out the duties of Leader of the Opposition had earned the respect, confidence, and admiration of the entire Dominion. —(Applause). Mr Massey, who was received with loud applause, was accorded an attentive and appreciative hearing. After a brief reference to the great loss just sustained by the Empire in the death of the late King, he went on to deal in the first place, with the recent speech of the Prime Minister at Winton. NO GOVERNMENT POLICY. Mr Massey said that although he had read Sir Joseph Ward's recent speech carefully, he could find very little in it beyond the usual promises in regard f future legislation, and the customary onesided statement respecting taxation and finances generally. There was no policy, nor was there any attempt to put forward a policy. The country was now again fairly prosperous, but it would be more prosperous if the Government would rise to this opportunities, and encourage private enterprise, as it ought to be encouraged. He believed there was plenty of 1 money available for the development of our resources, and he felt certain that English capitalists would sooner invest their money in this country than in countries not under the British flag if they were encouraged to do so, and if we had a Government in . whom they had confidence and who would place the public good before .parly. and private interests. " (AppJauee). "When a Government placed a policy before the country they. should stand'or fall by it, but when the present Ministry "put forward anything in the shape of a policy, it was in a timid and hesitating way, and they were quite ready to run from it if it appeared that the majority of members or people were of the opposite way of thinking. What the country wanted was a progressive policy of Crown and Native land ■ settlement, and the cleansing of the Augean stable of maladministration and corruption that had been piling for the last 20 years. Other reforms were also necessary, but those that he had indicated were the most urgent, and the party that would give effect to them would deserve ■well of the country. —(Applause). Given these necessary reforms, everything else that wits necessary to the welfare of the country would follow. —(Hear, hear).

RIGHTS OF PARLIAMENT. Dne of the difficulties that the Opposij tion had to deal with was the usurpation by the Executive of the functions and powers which properly belonged to Parliament as a whole. He instanced what had been done by the Government last year in regard to the appointment of the financial adviser in London, the Crown Suits Act, the Wellington case of Motorman Parton, and the Farmers' Distributing Company, the failure to lay before Parliament returns which had been ordered, and the postponement of the business of Parliament last yeda in order to allow the Prime Minister to attend the Imperial Conference. Mr Massey, as another instance of the Government's unsatisfactory methods, alluded to the reversals, by means of a Governor's Message, in the late days of the sessions, of the decision of the House as twice expressed in regard to the sinking funds of local bodies, whose loans are not guaranteed by the Government. Incidents such as this showed that it was very necessary that the calibre of Parliament should be raised. —(Applause). If Parliament would only assert itself, or if the electors would insist upon their representatives asserting themselves, there would be no need of,all night sittings, and there would be better legislation and more satisfactory administration!. —(Aplause). THE FINANCES. He enumerated the different directions in which increased taxation was proposed by the Government last year. Sir Joseph Ward had said that it was necessary to have increased taxation in order to meet the increased expenditure for defence purposes. As a matter of fact, however, although the taxation had been increased for this purpose, as it was stated, there had not yet been any increased expenditure on defence. In fact, last year's aefence expenditure showed a decrease. iThen again, the Prime Minister had said that the increase in death duties was necessary in order to meet the outlay incurred in connection with the battleship gift to Great Britain, but although the greater death duties had been in operation for some months, there had yet been no iexpeniditure in connetcion with the battleship. He referred to the fact that the Minister of Finance had declared that there was a surplus of £432,000. For many years it had been customary to transfer the greater part of the surpluses to the Public Works Fund, but last year nothing was transferred to the Public Works Fund, and consequently the whole of the £184,000 of the previous year's surplus was carried forward, and 'thus was included in the £432,000. Yet Sir Joseph Ward had declared that the £432.000 was the actual surplus for the year. Sir Joseph had been called the wizard of finance, but his methods of keening accounts were not the mthcds that sane and sensible people would adopt in conducting their business. —(Applause). TEE DEFENCE QUESTION. Mr Ma.wr.ev >'n touching on +he defence

question, said that he had supported the act of last year, but if it was to be successful, the administration of the Defence Department must be such as to inspire public confidence. The act must be administered with tact, commonsense, and ability. He believed that Lord Kitchener had suggested not that the age of compulsory training should be extended in regard to all male adults to the age of 25 (as had been stated), but that it should stop at the age of 18, and that between that age and 25 they should go on with one-third of the number. If they took the entire adult male population between those ages, they would have a force of about 60.000, but Lord Kitchener apparently did not believe this was necessary, and considered that a well-trained force to 20,000 was preferable to an indifferently trained force of 60,000. With this opinion, he (the speaker) agreed—(Applause). TOO FAST AND TOO SLOW. Mr Massey dealt with the Crown Land and Native Land questions on the lines of previous speeches. He also referred to instances in which certain newspapers opposing the Government had been punished by being deprived of Government advertisements. A motion affirming that the expenditure on Government advertising should be distributed for the public bene<v - K i no t for party purposes had ated last year by the Govern--wtx,. . ajority. This was the greatest piece of Tammanyism that he had ever heard of in any British country .In conclusion, he said that the debt and taxation of the Dominion had been increased to a greater extent during the present Government's period l of office than any similar period previously, and the number of people woo had left the country had also been greater than during any other similar period. The people knew that they were leaving a good country, but they left because there was a, bad Government. The present Government was too fast in regard to improper practices and extravagant expenditure, but it "wae too slow in regard to everything that pertained to the country's welfare. He believed that when the Government went next before the electors, they would be told' that they had been weighed in the balance and found wanting, and that they must give way to better men. —(Loud applause). After Mr Massey had answered a number of questions, he was accorded a hearty and enthusiastic vote of thanks for hie able and interestino- address. The usual compliment to the Mayor terminated the •neeting. Mr Massey was subsequently entertained at a smoke social at the Thames' Club.